The Last Slayer
AN: I don't own Demon Slayer or Marvel's Avengers
Note, this will contain Spoilers for the Demon Slayer Manga. Don't care for spoilers then please enjoy!
After centuries of defeating Muzan and traveling the world as a Demon, Tanjiro Kamado decides to live a steady life in New York, living his days in peace. The last thing he wasn't expecting was to see some espionage named Shield asking him if he wanted to join a certain initiative.
Prologue
When A Sword Meets A Shield
He did it. The battle was finally over. He had avenged his family. Muzan was finally dead. He can finally move on with his past.
The year was 2012, and Tanjiro had decided to settle down in an old apartment located in New York City.
He was currently on his desk writing a letter to all of his loved ones.
Dear Nezuko, the year is currently 2012. I'm still currently living in my apartment located in New York since I moved to America five years ago. If you thought Tokyo was big, wait till your eyes see this. I've been managing the same restaurant to this very day since I opened it, located around a part of the city called Queens. It's been going well. I had friendly customers and met particular people who go to my restaurant regularly.
Tanjiro recollects his business has been doing well since he opened it when he arrived to live in New York. He needed a way to pay for rent and what better than to start his establishment here.
One man by the name of Phil Coulson, I believe to be his name, has been a regular there. He would always come in to try every special the restaurant has to offer. Last week, he dared to try the special Dance of The Fire God sauce on his meal. I told him it was spicy but he didn't believe so. He tried it and what do you know, he immediately began to guzzle his drink of water I left for him when he ordered it, knowing no one can handle the might of the Fire God.
Tanjiro smiled at that last part of the sentence. His pen in his right hand proceeded to write on the paper in his notebook.
It's been more than the last couple of decades since I saw you. Before you and Zenitsu-san got married, I still remember the letter you sent me right when I left Japan two years ago in that time frame. I wished I could have seen you in your beautiful kimono as Zenitsu-san joyfully accepted you as his wife.
Tanjiro had a bittersweet smile on his lips. He never got a chance to go to his sister's wedding. He always imagined it was a beautiful ceremony with cherry blossoms and decorations around a grassy hill where the bright sun always shines.
Tanjiro Kamado was now free from his inner turmoil. He had gotten his sister the cure thanks to the help of Lady Tamayo, but an accidental trade had to happen.
The cure that Tanjiro took was incomplete. It was potent enough to kill Muzan's voice, but not enough to take his demon abilities away. After Tanjiro woke up, he realized his body had gone through a massive change.
Tanjiro had become The Demon King once again.
After Nezuko was cured, It was just destiny's rotten luck that Tanjiro had to trade his humanity for his only remaining family member to be free. But Tanjiro didn't care, he was happy to finally have his sister again, whole and healthy and 100 percent demon-free.
Since then, Tanjiro has begun to travel the world, finding his peace. His goal was to end the last remaining line of demons leftover thanks to Muzan's reign.
Nezuko begged her brother to stay, even if he was a demon, as he was still family to her. It was her turn to support her brother when he went through going back and forth to hell, finding a cure. But Tanjiro knew he couldn't stay, not with Muzan's essence inside of him. Tanjiro told his sister that he would return and will be back in time to spend the last days of her childhood with him.
Nezuko, with tears in her eyes, understood and gave her big brother one last hug, preparing for his journey. Zenitsu appeared by Nezuko's side and promised Tanjiro he would take care of her in case he didn't come back.
Tanjiro smiled and gave his blessings to his blonde-haired friend, knowing he was the one right for his sister.
Tanjiro could remember the last words of his precious sister.
"Please come back, Onii-Chan, be safe…" Nezuko wished.
Tanjiro smiled and nodded his head, wishing his final farewell to his remaining family.
Soon after saying his goodbyes to everyone, he left Japan and began traveling to different parts of the world. At the beginning of his travels, Tanjiro encountered the last line of Demons and began slaying them with his blade, putting them out of their misery.
Tanjiro would get the opportunity to pray every chance he would get, hoping these poor souls would find a better life in their reincarnation. This was also a good time for Tanjiro to test out his Demon attributes as they would come in handy in a few cases.
He wasn't expecting to see that while no demons existed in other parts of the world, (thank God for that), there was still war in every corner.
Reminiscing about his past travels, Tanjiro took a hold of his pen and commenced writing on the next page of his travel journal.
I finally got another chance to keep writing to you. The last time I wrote to you was a year or two ago, around my time, living here in New York after I got the papers settled in for the restaurant. I remember naming the restaurant after Oto-san's sun breathing technique. I remember watching him dance with the flames on the snowy mountains when you were just a baby. Okaa-san had you recently as a newborn. She stood next to me when I was a child during the sun breathing ritual dance, along with you when she was still alive.
Tanjiro remembers the day when both of his parents were still alive. His baby sister was just an infant and he was a toddler at the time.
Tanjiro promised himself he wouldn't give in to his grief. His sister and the rest of his family wouldn't want to see him in this miserable state. Tanjiro continued to put on a smile and carry on writing in his journal.
Speaking of newborns. I would have loved to meet you and Zenitsu-san's children. My nieces or nephews as well. I would have been a loving Uncle to them. The world has changed so much and yet, I remain the same, as a demon. I can still mask my appearance by hiding my teeth and claws whenever I travel, hoping to blend in with other Civilians. Since I've begun my travels, I remember writing to you about ending Muzan's curse for good. So no more people have to suffer for being plagued with the same burden I carry. No other Demons were spotted in the years I spent living here. I guess that leaves me and maybe Yuichiro as the only living remaining Demons left around the world. While on my travels, I do remember telling you I met some odd people on the way.
A few decades later after he left his home, Tanjiro remembers encountering a man in an odd costume which Tanjiro recalls very strangely. What was his name? Colonial Flag? American Man? Captain United? Tanjiro had a hard time with the strange and unique names people came up with.
During the decade set in the 1940s, there was a man dressed in some kind of uniform, resembling his Country's colors. America if I remember correctly. An American throwing some kind of saucer, matching his suit. He mistook me for some kind of enemy. I told the strange man that I was just accidentally caught up in his battle and didn't mean to intrude on his fight. Eventually, some more men in strange clothing appeared as soldiers came out of the field and began attacking us. The flag man and I put aside our differences and began battling the men who were trying to kill us.
America was the name of that country, it was at war with another country named Germany. He recalled faintly that the war took place in the 1940's he guessed. But it soon ended a few years late.
Tanjiro's senses have been enhanced thanks to the demon transformation the bastard Muzan has left him, but it did come with its perks. It greatly enhanced his smell even more than his human attributes and now he could tell what emotions or feelings were from someone a mile away.
At the first sniff, Tanjiro could tell that this stranger was a good person. His scent gave off a noble, valorous, kind vibe.
Tanjiro could still remember the memory, fresh in his head as he knew America was still at war with Germany at the time. World War II is what it was called as it brought not only America but other countries to the mix, including Japan as well.
He hoped Nezuko and the rest of his loved ones were doing okay at that time.
The man apologized to me and said he was sorry for attacking me, not realizing I was an ally from the start, caught in the crossfire of a war. He asked what I was doing here on the battlefield in the first place. Thankfully, he could understand my foreign language as he could speak Japanese, not just English. He told me about other languages I never knew of. I was amazed after hearing his voice, speaking in the same native tongue as we spoke back home. The flag man asked me once again what I was doing on the battlefield in the first place. I kindly told the nice man in my language, plain and simple, "I'm just a simple wanderer."
Tanjiro recalls before he left, he took along his equipment as well. His Nichiren blade along with his checkered black and green haori. He also had a kitsune mask to bring along with him to conceal his identity whenever he traveled.
He even carried the box he would always place his sister in, during his search for uncovering a cure for her as a way to not forget his previous journey in the past era.
Tanjiro continues to write in his journal.
Since then, Technology as the modern day calls it begins to evolve around me. People have chosen to wear more unique clothing, people had these walking devices called phones which you can call someone far away from a different location. That would have come in handy, back when I was searching for a cure for you. Buildings have gotten huge and seeing one for the first time made my heart drop as I had a hard time comprehending these tall sky towers or whatever they're called. There are also these machines called planes which are tubes with wings on the side that allow people to fly inside them. In the sky, the sky! If only you, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were here to see the huge advances in the world! That reminds me, Inosuke and Zenitsu were mostly the ones who were on our side for the majority of our journey during my time as a Demon Slayer. Tell them I will never forget my precious friends, along with you of course. Kami, I miss you guys. I just wish I could see you one last time.
Tanjiro was getting more uneasy as writing his thoughts down began to bring his emotions to a negative level. Tanjiro touched the scar on his forehead, remembering it was where his birthmark was before.
Tanjiro took a deep breath again, recomposing himself and silencing his thoughts as he resumed writing down his thoughts.
Speaking of machines, recently, on the news, I saw a man announcing himself as a hero on television. I think I remember telling you I went on a trip somewhere called Afghanistan, where I went to check out the desert located to see if there were any demons there. The temperatures there are insane when it comes to the weather. Thank Kami, you're no longer a demon, Nezuko because the sun is honestly too hot for my taste. On my way to the desert, I remember spotting something in the sky, some kind of machine crashing through the desert hills. I went over to see what the damage was and I saw a man wearing some kind of armor suit. He appeared covered in dirt and looked like he had gone through some kind of mini-war.
Tanjiro recalled a memory, as he encountered a man stranded wearing a tanktop and pants covered in smoke, appearing like he came out from a scuffle.
The man asked me a question about my location in the desert. I soon handed him a water bottle and told him I would escort him out of the desert safe and sound. The man was a bit odd with a few quirky perks and he had a weird beard as well but he seemed like a good man. I haven't seen the man since my encounter with him in the hot desert.
Afterward, I moved here to New York five years later and I've been currently living here, trying to live a life, filled with serenity. Demons no longer exist in this time, meaning my time as a Demon Slayer has officially ended. All I ever wanted was to see you and the rest of my beloved friends safe and sound in Japan, free from your suffering.
Tanjiro would always get emotional, every damn time he would always write letters to his sister along with his two comrades who supported him in battle. Even after their passing away, Tanjiro acquired a habit of writing to his loved ones as a coping mechanism since Tanjiro didn't have anyone from his time to speak to for a simple conversation.
He was the last of his time. He was a foreigner in a strange new era, just like that hand demon from Final Selection oh-so-many years ago.
Flipping the next page of his journal, Tanjiro brought his pen to finish his final thoughts to his most beloved ones.
I promise you I will get a chance to see you again along with Zenitsu, Inosuke, Kanao, Giyuu, Urokodaki, Shinobu, Rengoku, Misturi, Obanai, Muichiro, Tengen, Sanemi, Ubuyashiki, Aoi, Tamayo, Okaa-san, Otu-san, Hanako, Rokuta, Takeo, Shigeru… Everyone, I love you all and I hope to see you again in another life. I will wait patiently until then.
Love, Tanjiro.
After setting the pen down on his desk, Tanjiro closed his journal and called it a day, walking outside to the little balcony jutting out from his apartment. Tanjiro tooked a deep breath again, letting his emotions free and smiling sadly at the stars.
He will never forget them. He prayed that they were watching him, up in the heavens.
'I wonder if I'll ever meet people like you guys again.'
The next day afterward as the shining sun began to rise in the busy streets of New York, Tanjiro woke up early today at six o'clock in the morning. He knew he had to open the restaurant at eight later today, but he always went for a morning jog first thing at this time of day.
Tanjiro had gotten out of his bed and proceeded to remove his pajamas to change into a dark green hoodie and black sweats from his cabinet.
Tanjiro's room was rather a unique take on simple tastes. He had a desk with a laptop and keyboard hooked on a monitor and there was a bookshelf next to the desk.
On the walls where his room and bed were located, there were traditional Japanese paintings, including a wall art of Koi-fish with a bamboo multi-panel canvas.
A Kitsune mask was hung where Tanjiro's desk was as a memento, recollecting it was the mask his master had given for his exams to pass to become an official Demon Slayer.
There was also a katana hanging over the painting. It was a Nichirin blade from his time in the Demon Slayer Corps. The blade had a flamboyant look on his sword's handle as Uzui would say. Tanjiro's red eyes gazed over the beauty of his katana, remembering better days and more joyful times.
Hotaru would be proud of him, for actually keeping his sword in a safe location. Tanjiro's lips curled into a smile, thinking back to that recollection.
He gently lifted the katana off the shelf and ran his hand through the scabbard of the sword, reuniting with a part of himself.
"One day, old friend. One day I will require your use once more." Tanjiro whispered, placing the sword on the shelf under the painting once again. He stepped outside, taking a breath of the not-so-fresh air of the city, jogging around the nearby park, and humming a tune to himself.
While on his jog, Tanjiro would always come across a huge skyscraper. From what Tanjiro could remember, the name of the building was called Stark Tower.
From what Tanjiro could recall, the person who owned the tower was a man named Tony Stark. Tanjiro remembers hearing about the man from his time when he visited Los Angeles for a short time.
He recalled the man was some kind of superhero, Tanjiro recollected hearing about in the past days.
Iron Man was the name Tanjiro remembered when Tony Stark announced it five years ago. It was right when he had arrived in New York after saving the man in the desert. He still couldn't believe how much technology evolved.
His sister and friends from back home would not believe the sight of this automation since buildings around his time were reaching great heights.
He remembers the billionaire setting up a tower located in New York and it was only eight miles away from where he lived. Tanjiro wonders if he'll ever make a visit to have a friendly chat with the billionaire, knowing he had an encounter with him in the past.
Shaking his head, Tanjiro didn't want to bother the man and he, himself, just wanted to live a peaceful life in New York with no weirdness in his life. Not that he hated it but his time having strange adventures was done and he decided to spend his life here, managing his restaurant and moving forward for what was about to come.
After his morning jog, he would take a shower to secure his everyday routine. Hot water would always be soothing after a run, Tanjiro grabbed a towel hung from the rack and continued to dry his hair with it, prepared to open the restaurant.
Tanjiro went to his closet to grab a couple of clothes to get dressed. He was now wearing a dark T-shirt with a green and checkered flannel shirt along with dark, black jeans and sported gray high-top converse shoes.
Over time Tanjiro wasn't used to crazy clothing since the 60s or the 70s as they began to appear more eccentric to him but the new fashion style has grown on him greatly. These clothes were a bigger change than what he wore in comparison to his old haori and sandals in the Taisho Era.
He was a country boy after all.
Lying on his desk were his traditional Hanafuda earrings. These mementos were passed down as a gift from his father after he passed away due to illness.
Tanjiro walked over to where his desk was and proceeded to put on the earrings. He turned his head to face where his mirror was in the room and placed his ancient earrings on, completing his appearance.
Despite being over centuries old, Tanjiro appeared like a man in his early twenties.
Luckily, during his travels, he learned English and even took a class in a community college to improve it when he first moved to New York. So he considered himself fluent in the language in America.
Tanjiro thankfully got a chance to forge paperwork for himself to work in the service industry. Because of this, he decided to live a quiet life here and even open up a restaurant to do so. Tanjiro had also received citizenship to aid in his business.
The name of the restaurant was called The Hinokami Dragon. Based on his father's breathing technique he learned when he was just a child, watching the technique over and over again until it was imprinted in his mind.
Dance of the Fire God was the English translation, as he had learned that when he attended the class in the past.
Tanjiro was able to get a business license due to personal connections and managed to register it for state and local tax business. At the end of the day, Tanjiro got a permit to officially own and run the restaurant.
Speaking of breathing techniques, usually, after his morning jogs, when Tanjiro wasn't working or had a day off to himself, Tanjiro would continue his practices on mastering complete control of Total Concentration Breathing.
He had still kept the scrolls on Water Breathing and other breathing styles on his shelf. Sun Breathing was the one he mostly focused on since it was a part of his family's legacy.
The remaining part is from his family to be specific.
After finding his apartment keys, Tanjiro had gotten all set up and began to get ready for a day's worth, living his life to the fullest.
"Thank you for your kind patronage. Please come again soon." Tanjiro bowed as another customer waved their hands, leaving the restaurant in good satisfaction.
When Tanjiro first opened The Hinokami Dragon, business was a little slow at the start but through time, once people around the area found out about the restaurant, it quickly became a favorite around Queens and the reputation precedes itself.
Tanjiro was in the back, cooking and stirring the dish named Oroshi-Soba and Kakiage. A dish he remembers he tried in Asakusa, Tokyo, back when he was a human. Back when he was still part of the Demon Slayer Corps, back when he was trying to find a cure for his loving sister.
While Tanjiro may no longer be human, he can appreciate what good food looks like. Thanks to a special tea made by Lady Tamayo, Tanjiro can satisfy his hunger without having to eat human flesh. It was one of the many things that she had to thank her for. Kami, may she find peace in another life somewhere.
While cooking, a bell was heard on the front door.
'Oh! A customer's here! I should wrap this up soon.' Tanjiro thought, quickly turning off the stove and putting the soup in a warm, holding cabinet.
Tanjiro walked over to the front of the counter, to kindly greet the customer. "Hello, welcome to the Hinokami Dragon, our special today is simmered salmon with winter radish!" Tanjiro greeted a lady who walked into the restaurant while Tanjiro was sporting a kind smile on his face. "Let me know when you're ready to order."
A woman stood in the doorway, she had short, dark, red hair. She wore a black jacket with a white shirt underneath. She had black dress pants with high-black heels on.
The scent of this woman was strange. Tanjiro didn't know why but he was reminded of Shinobu for some reason. She had a different smell but seemed to have a similar emotion to the insect Hashira, putting on a false facade to fool people with her appearance.
Tanjiro decided to play along with what she was up to as the woman spoke. "Wow, so this is the famous restaurant my coworkers have been telling me about. You have quite a cozy appearance here."
"Thank you for your kind words, miss. I try to keep my restaurant as balanced as possible." Tanjiro meant while the woman continued to stare at the red-haired man with her "smile."
Tanjiro knew that the woman's posture was fake but decided to go along with it, to not draw attention to himself. "Thank you, miss… I'm so sorry, I don't know your name." Tanjiro apologized.
The redhead woman shook her head, telling him not to worry about it. "Natasha. But you can just call me Natalie."
Tanjiro bowed, not forgetting his mannerisms. "It's nice to meet you, Natalie-san. Please would you like me to show you what offers we carry here at The Hinokami Dragon?" Tanjiro asked with a polite manner, impressing the red-haired woman so far with his posture.
Natalie had a smirk on her face, not acceptable for the man to be this polite. "Thank you but I came here for a drink. Do you have any good offers on drinks?"
"Why yes, we do. We carried Sake here. Our brand here is pretty strong."
"Why, I'll be the judge of that." The red-haired woman spoke, before taking a seat on one of the stools at the counter.
Tanjiro smiled and grabbed one of his drinks on the shelf behind, before grabbing a glass and pouring Natalie's drink of strong sake.
"Well, I've been looking forward to this." Natalie smiled, taking a sip of the sake.
Natalie's face squinted after the first shot. This was different from what she was used to.
Tanjiro begins to chuckle, spotting the redhead woman's expression. "Judging by your face, it looks like you have never drank Sake before. It's okay, the first time I drank Sake, I wasn't used to the bitter, bland taste of it."
"I can see that. I'm more used to whiskey or bourbon. But this was a good first experience too." Natalie sipped a second time, trying to get used to the strong flavor.
"Well, now that I'm here, I guess I could try something that's promising here. What do you recommend here?"
Tanjiro smiled, knowing he had a dish in the kitchen. "Well, I do have a soba soup dish, cooking in the back. It's one of my popular specials here. It's a good way to start fresh when you stop by next time."
Natalie's lips curled into a smile. "Alright, then, please. Surprise me."
"You got it, Natalie-san. One Oroshi Soba dish, coming right up." Tanjiro happily accepted, taking her order.
After taking the nice woman's order, Tanjiro went to the back and went over to grab the soup from the cabinet that kept it warm and fresh for customers.
Tanjiro grabbed a soup ladle and poured the nice, hot ramen dish into a Chinese bowl. Heading to where Natalie was, Tanjiro placed the bowl on the counter right in front of the woman's eyes as she began to sport the anticipated look, wondering if this dish was as good as he said.
Natalie grabbed the chopsticks that Tanjiro had placed on the table. She began to taste, waiting for the savory flavor to kick in.
After the first slurp of noodles, Natalie begins to nod her head and appears with a smile on her face. Tanjiro smiled as well, knowing the dish didn't offer disappointment.
"Hmmm, this is… good. Did you invent this dish on your own?"
Tanjiro laughed lightly at the redhead woman's question. "No, actually, I remember my first time in Tokyo, where I went with my sister, we went to a local booth to try the dish. Next thing you know, it offers a magnificent taste I'll never forget."
"You went to Tokyo?" The woman raised a question as Tanjiro nodded his head, confirming he did.
"Wow, what made you come here to the United States then? Tokyo's a long way from NY." Natalie clarified.
"I wanted to see the world. I heard America was a good place to start." Tanjiro admitted to a guilty pastime.
The redhead woman chuckled, continuing to eat her delicious dish. "Did you live in Tokyo before?"
Tanjiro scratched his head, wondering how he would tell her the previous location of his home. "I live in a small settlement. It was close to where the mountains were. My family and I used to live there when I was younger." Tanjiro telling the truth in a way.
"That's nice. Do you still talk to your family?" Natalie asked curiously.
Tanjiro winced a bit at her question, not wanting to be impolite, Tanjiro quickly changed back to his smile as the redhead woman caught that notion. She hopefully didn't touch a personal subject, did she?
"My family passed away. I'm the only one left alive, living here."
And she did. Natalie felt terrible for asking a ridiculous question. "I'm sorry. I… didn't know." Natalie placed the chopsticks next to her bowl.
Tanjiro widened his eyes, not wanting one of his customers to feel bad for him. From the other side of the counter, Tanjiro sniffed the woman's scent and her current emotion was real. She felt remorse for him and regretted asking her question.
That's not the reason why he started this restaurant in the first place to give joy to others and to relieve people from their problems so they can relax instead.
"No. It's okay. You didn't know. They're living in peace and I still remember my memories with them fondly." Tanjiro meant sincerely.
"Yes but still, I wouldn't have asked if I knew," Natalie wished undone.
"Natalie-san, it's okay. My family is at peace and I am as well. Besides, someone you love who has passed away may be gone but not forgotten." Tanjiro explained wisely, knowing his family was in a better place.
Natalie was taken aback by the young man's words. She wasn't expecting to hear this viewpoint right in front of her. "Yeah, you're right," Natalie agreed, understanding he was right about that wisdom.
"By the way, your dish is gonna get cold if you keep thinking to yourself," Tanjiro informed casually, pointing his right finger at her bowl.
Natalie widened her eyes and realized she couldn't let this amazing food go to waste. She was determined to finish this dish before it got cold.
"And right you are." Natalie grabbed her chopsticks and continued to consume her soup, and continued her conversation with Tanjiro, getting to know him as a person.
After finishing her dish, Natalie asked the red-haired owner if he had plans for tonight. Tanjiro politely declined her offer and told her he had to close at ten and stayed to clean up the place.
Natalie understood as she took a note from her purse and wrote her contact information in case she ever wanted to hang out as friends some other time.
Thanks to his enhanced senses, Tanjiro could sniff the scent of the note, without coming off as weird or even alerting Natalie. In further investigation, the scent gives off an honest but strange sensation about it.
Maybe Natalie did want to have Tanjiro as a friend, maybe she was happy to have him around. Either way, Tanjiro has to be careful who he was around. He had to keep it a lowkey environment in his restaurant.
Tanjiro gently tooked the note and placed it on the counter, telling Natalie he was happy to keep company with her some other time. Natalie smiled and began to pay for the food, leaving a generous tip for the red-haired owner.
Tanjiro appeared glad but she didn't have to leave an open tip for him. But Natalie was not going to take no for an answer. She insisted and told him that he served a fine establishment right here.
Once Natalie began to leave, she told Tanjiro that she was delighted with the service and food here and she plans to come back here as a good-to-recommendation for supper. Maybe bring a friend to accompany her in the meantime.
Tanjiro was glad and said he was happy to see her patronage again.
After Natalie left the restaurant, Tanjiro smiled and carried on with business, knowing he satisfied another customer once again.
At that point, while catering to customers, he forgot about the lingering scent that was roaming his restaurant not too long ago.
After a hard but fruitful day at work, handling customers and preparing orders, Tanjiro turned to face the clock, realizing it was closing time. After the last two customers left, which were a nice elderly couple, Tanjiro waved them good night and went over to where the entrance door was, flipping the sign over to close.
At the back, Tanjiro washed the dishes and wiped the counter at the front and the tables, cleaning all the spills and tossed napkins, sweeping down the wooden floors.
Tanjiro grabbed a broom and continued to sweep the floors under the tables. Work was something that Tanjiro hadn't experienced in a while. After becoming a Demon Slayer, he hadn't retained a stable job that involved labor in his lifetime. This brought back a saddening memory from when he chopped wood and sold charcoal to support his family in the cold mountains in his village. Back when his loving family was still alive.
A bittersweet memory played in Tanjiro's head. He always wondered what would have happened if Muzan didn't arrive that day. If he went back home instead of sleeping at the old man's place, would he have been at peace with his family?
Should Tanjiro just move on? Should he meet someone and live his life? His sister would want that for him, thinking that was best for her big brother.
While lamenting in his private thoughts, Tanjiro's now-enhanced demon ears picked up the sound of the restaurant door opening. That was strange. He thought he had closed the door and flipped the sign over.
"I'm sorry, but we're closed," Tanjiro said politely as his head turned around to face the person. As he did, his nose caught a suspicious, bitter scent.
There was a bald dark-skinned man with an eyepatch who wore a black, leather jacket underneath a black polo neck shirt. This man… had a unique look, appearing as if he belonged to a military recruit or was possibly a veteran.
Tanjiro's senses could tell the man had serious emotions and was looking to interrogate him for an answer. He knew he didn't come alone. He didn't have to look, but his senses told him that there were people outside the restaurant, giving him back up.
But he didn't do anything wrong. Tanjiro's expression changed from a skeptical look to a carefree one, using his manners to remind the man that he would have to come back tomorrow if he wanted to try anything on his menu, remembering to act politely about his words.
Tanjiro tried once again to gently tell the strange man to leave reasonably. "I'm sorry, sir but we're closed for today. I won't open the store until 8 in the morning. If you want, I could lend you a copy of the menu so you can be prepared for what to order tomorrow."
"That would be nice. This is a fine establishment you have here, kid. Or should I say, Tanjiro Kamado?" The man finished as Tanjiro's eyes widened in surprise.
How did this man even know his identity? He has lived here for five years since he opened up his business and he couldn't recall, not one time this man had shown up at his restaurant.
Tanjiro's expression on his face went from carefree to a bit more serious since the man with the dark eyepatch here knew who he was.
"I'm… I'm sorry, do I know you? I don't think I gave you my name before." Tanjiro inquired.
"Let's just say a little birdie told me. I heard all about you. You were a hard one to find since you do travel a lot. Five years ago, I saw you on the news when you aided Stark in the desert and helped him find his way back home. Since then, we once again lost track of your sightings. You're quite a difficult man to find."
"I am a wanderer, after all," Tanjiro meant with a smile returning to his face.
The man with the eyepatch smirks after hearing the former Demon Slayer's words. "But all that said, I'm not here looking for trouble but rather make you an offer instead."
"An offer?" Tanjiro raised a question with skepticism on his face. "What kind of offer?"
"An offer to make you a part of an idea. To bring together a group of remarkable people." The man with the eyepatch confirmed right in front of the red-haired man.
Remarkable people? Were there other people like him?
"Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself first, My name is Nick Fury and I am a director at Shield. Outside of your establishment, there are 50 soldiers outside, armed with pistols and snipers hidden everywhere in a corner. My best agent is outside, armed with a bow and arrow but don't underestimate him. He never misses his shots."
Tanjiro's sniffs picked up on the director's words. He knew he wasn't lying. Early when he was cleaning the counter, he could have sworn there were detections on his radar, but due to recollecting his old thoughts, he wasn't careful enough to sense them.
"However, you seemed like a nice kid. Managing this business all by yourself and staying out of trouble. Your parents must be proud of you."
Tanjiro started to grow a solemn manifestation on his face. "Both of my parents passed away, sir. It's just me living here alone."
The man had a sympathetic expression on his face. "Hmm, my condolences. Really, sorry to hear about that. Either way, they both would have been proud of you to see what the man you become today. That is if you truly are human."
Truly human? What did he mean by that? Did the man know who he was?
"Our records of you showed that you were around a long time ago, and I mean, "a long time ago." Two decades before Shield was even founded. Approximately, you were around the era between two countries going to war with each other." Fury explained while Tanjiro seemingly looked the other way, knowing himself he was a terrible liar. "Not only that but your last sighting was in Los Angeles, around the same time when Stark announced himself as Iron Man. After that, we lost sight of your location and have been off our radar since then." Fury described his explanation to the red-haired traveler.
Tanjiro couldn't believe what his ears were hearing. These people have been looking for him for decades? What on Earth was going on here anyway? His time as a Demon Slayer since the corps disbanded a long time ago.
So they couldn't have gotten that information anywhere else in the world. Not from him, that's for sure.
"But here we are, meeting for the first time. We've seen what kind of abilities you have. Two of our agents were sent to find you during your time in Los Angeles but you used some maneuver to increase your speed, outclassing the fastest agents we have. We also witness claiming that you underwent some kind of transformation at night, into a beast of sorts, with tentacles growing on your back and possessing blades as well." Fury explained with great detail.
Tanjiro knew what the eyepatch man was referring to. He should have been more careful around his surroundings.
Tanjiro viewed the man with the eye patch, hoping to reason with him and inform him that he didn't want to pick a fight at this time. "I don't want any trouble. I just want to close up shop and head home." Tanjiro absolved, not wanting to start a conflict.
"I know you don't. First and foremost, you could be lying to me or maybe you are telling the truth. Personally speaking, I see you as a part of something bigger. Seeing how you saved Stark's bacon in the desert and have not harmed any innocents, piqued my interest. How about this: instead of working at your establishment, we could use your cooperation to aid us in an initiative."
"Initiative? What kind of initiative?" Tanjiro inquired curiously.
The man's lips began to smirk after hearing that. "Mr. Kamado, have you ever heard about something called "The Avengers Initiative?"
Paying attention to the man's words would be an offer that would change Tanjiro's routine.
Looks like his time as a wanderer was not finished for whatever destiny had in store for the retired Demon Slayer.
AN: Hello Everyone! Welcome to Chapter 1 of my Demon Slayer/Avengers X-Over. Originally, I was going to post a new chapter of my MHA/Avengers but I'm still working on grammar issues and so on.
Special thanks to CherrySongbird13 for helping beta this story as I could not have done without them. While writing my other Avengers X-Over story, a thought came into my head of what other crossovers I should write next and I thought why not use another one of my favorite anime of all time with one of my favorite anime characters of all time.
I posted a poll on Discord to know which story concept you guys wanted to see next and Demon Slayer/MCU took the win with 11 votes. MHA/Hazbin Hotel came second and that is a story I'm currently writing along with this one. So look forward to that one and I will post the Persona 5/Teen Titans Crossover as soon as I find a current beta for it.
But yes, I hope you guys find this crossover interesting and original. Please leave a favorite, follow, and review for this story. Please feel free to join me on Discord as I left a link on my profile. I hope you guys look forward to more and have a wonderful day as well. Adios!